17 HBO and HBO Max Original Series to Get Excited About in 2023

“The Last of Us” (HBO)

Release Date: Sunday, January 15 at 9 p.m. ET
Creators/Writers: Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann
Cast: Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, Gabriel Luna, Anna Torv, Nico Parker, Murray Bartlett, Nick Offerman, Melanie Lynskey, Storm Reid, Merle Dandridge, Jeffrey Pierce, Lamar Johnson, Keivonn Woodard, Graham Greene, Elaine Miles, Ashley Johnson, Troy Baker
What’s It About? Based on the Playstation games of the same name, “The Last of Us” follows Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) as they make their way across a post-apocalyptic America filled with desperate survivors and zombie-like monsters. But what may become a father/daughter dynamic starts off as strictly business: Ellie has been infected with the same virus that turns others into mutant killers, but she remains her 14-year-old self. Joel has been hired to smuggle her out of a quarantine zone, in the hopes that scientists out west can study her DNA to help find a cure for everyone else. Neil Druckmann, who wrote and directed the acclaimed video games, is onboard as writer and executive producer, alongside series co-creator Craig Mazin, who last hit it big with the “Chernobyl” limited series. Add in cast members Murray Bartlett, Anna Torv, Nick Offerman, and Melanie Lynskey, and “The Last of Us” is primed to be HBO’s next great adventure series.

IndieWire’s Season 1 Review

IndieWire’s Episode Reviews

“The Idol” (HBO)

Release Date: Sunday, June 4 at 9 p.m. ET
Creator: Abel Tesfaye (“The Weeknd”), Reza Fahim, Sam Levinson
Director: Sam Levinson
Cast: Lily-Rose Depp, Abel Tesfaye, Suzanna Son, Troye Sivan, Jane Adams, Dan Levy, Eli Roth, Hari Nef, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Hank Azaria
What’s It About? When it comes to “The Idol,” there’s what it’s about and what it’s about. Speaking strictly of the plot, the six-episode first season will follow a music diva (Lily-Rose Depp) trying to battle back to pop culture prominence after suffering a nervous breakdown that canceled her last tour. To do so, she starts working with a self-help guru (The Weeknd) — and leader of a modern cult — who may or may not have her best interests at heart. OK, sure. Cults typically make for good TV, and everyone loves a comeback, but the hype around “The Idol” tilts more toward what’s off-screen than on. Co-created by The Weeknd (who also stars) and “Euphoria” point man Sam Levinson, “The Idol” has gone through a very public creative pivot, when director and executive producer Amy Seimetz left the project after multiple episodes had already been shot. Reports stated that Tesfaye felt the show was skewing too far into a “female perspective,” which could explain the departure of actor Suzanna Son, as well. With behind-the-scenes turnover, an extended shoot, and the promise of a wild pop star party scene, “The Idol” should draw plenty of curiosity.

“White House Plumbers” (HBO)

Release Date: Monday, May 1 at 9 p.m. ET
Creators/Writers: Alex Gregory and Peter Huyck
Director: David Mandel
Cast: Woody Harrelson, Justin Theroux, Lena Headey, Judy Greer, Domhnall Gleeson, Kiernan Shipka, Ike Barinholtz, Rich Sommer, Kathleen Turner
What’s It About? Short answer: Watergate. Longer answer: “White House Plumbers” focuses on Watergate masterminds (a term used very loosely, I’m sure) E. Howard Hunt (Woody Harrelson) and Justin Theroux (G. Gordon Liddy) as they set about to ensure Richard M. Nixon’s reelection and instead topple his entire presidency.

“In most of the Watergate movies ever made, basically the burglary is the opening scene,” director and executive producer David Mandel told IndieWire during production. “You see flashes of the burglary, and then it’s people in the Oval Office, [President Richard] Nixon, and the reporters at the Washington Post. This is a limited series where it is 100 percent about the burglary. We’re going to meet these guys before the burglary, and we’re going to see the effects of the burglary on their lives. This is the story that none of these other [stories] bothered with, to some extent.”

Given the “Veep” veterans writing and directing, as well as skilled comic performers in Harrelson and Theroux, it should come as no surprise that “White House Plumbers” promises plenty of humor amid its serious central situation. (“It’s a drama, but it’s really funny,” Mandel said.) That tonal shift and the exciting team bringing an infamous story to life should be more than enough reason to tune in when the limited series premieres in March.

“Full Circle” (Max)

Release Date: Thursday, July 13
Writer: Ed Solomon
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Cast: Claire Danes, Zazie Beetz, Dennis Quaid, Timothy Olyphant, Jharrel Jerome, Jim Gaffigan, Sheyi Cole, and CCH Pounder
What’s It About? The six-episode limited series marks Steven Soderbergh’s first TV series since 2017’s “Mosaic,” but only his latest enticing collaboration with HBO. Following a trio of critically acclaimed films — “Let Them All Talk,” “No Sudden Move,” and “Kimi” — Soderbergh returns for an episodic tale he calls “a complex narrative that manages to be both kaleidoscopic and intimate.” “Full Circle” centers on a botched kidnapping attempt that uncovers long-held secrets connecting multiple characters interspersed throughout New York City. With cast members Claire Danes, Timothy Olyphant, Zazie Beetz, and Jharrel Jerome, you better believe we’ll be watching.

“Love and Death” (HBO Max)

Release Date: Thursday, April 27 (with three episodes, then weekly through May 25)
Writer: David E. Kelley
Director: Lesli Linka Glatter
Cast: Elizabeth Olsen, Jesse Plemons, Lily Rabe, Patrick Fugit, Keir Gilchrist, Elizabeth Marvel, Tom Pelphrey, Krysten Ritter
What’s It About? A few of HBO’s big ticket series for 2023 are telling stories already told in 2022. “White House Plumbers” is focusing on not only the well-trodden ground of the Watergate scandal, but two characters who earned quite a spotlight in the Starz limited series, “Gaslit.” Then there’s “Love and Death,” which is based on a 1980 true crime story set in Wylie, Texas, where housewife Candy Montgomery was accused of murdering her friend Betty Gore with an axe. Just a year ago, Hulu released “Candy,” which is based on the same case and stars Jessica Biel in the part played here by Elizabeth Olsen. How David E. Kelley (in his first HBO project since “The Undoing”) and Lesli Linka Glatter’s series distinguishes itself will be key to its success, but with the talent involved, one has to believe such a wild story is worth seeing twice.

“Rain Dogs” (HBO)

Release Date: Monday, March 6 at 10 p.m. ET
Creator/Writer: Cash Carraway
Cast: Daisy May Cooper, Jack Farthing, Fleur Tashjian, Ronde Adékoluejo
What’s It About? “Rain Dogs” is not an expansion of the “Reservation Dogs” television universe, but a new series co-produced by HBO and the BBC about Costello Jones, a single mother whose love for her daughter, family, and friends transcends the regular threats of poverty and prejudice. Jones is played by Daisy May Cooper, a two-time BAFTA winner for her BBC Three series, “This Country” (which was adapted for American audiences as “Welcome To Flatch,” now airing on Fox). Cash Carraway, who writes and executive produces, is a British playwright and emerging TV writer, as well as a published author. While further details are scant at this time, “Rain Dogs” represents the kind of creative bet on relatively unknown talents that HBO is known for getting right — here’s hoping “Rain Dogs” is 2023’s “Gentleman Jack” or “Somebody Somewhere” (you know, in addition to “Somebody Somewhere” Season 2).

“The Sympathizer” (HBO)

Showrunners: Park Chan-wook and Don McKellar
Director: Park Chan-wook
Cast: Hoa Xuande, Robert Downey Jr., Sandra Oh, Kiéu Chinh, Nguyên Cao Ky Duyén, Fred Nguyen Khan, Toan Le, Vy Le, Alan Trong
What’s It About? While not yet confirmed for 2023 release, HBO’s adaptation of Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, “The Sympathizer,” has been shooting in Los Angeles and Thailand since November 2022 — so there’s reason to believe we could see this before year’s end. The satirical espionage thriller follows a half-French, half-Vietnamese communist spy during the final days of the Vietnam War and his resulting exile in the United States. The unnamed lead, simply called The Captain in the series, is played by Hoa Xuande, last seen in the live-action “Cowboy Bebop” series. Robert Downey Jr. will portray multiple characters, all antagonists, in support of a primarily Vietnamese cast. Park Chan-wook serves as co-showrunner and director, in his first TV series since AMC’s “The Little Drummer Girl” (another spy story) and his first follow-up to the Oscar short-listed “Decision To Leave.”

Update: During Warner Bros. Discovery’s presentation of the Max streaming service, HBO released a trailer for “The Sympathizer” and confirmed it would not be released until 2024.

“Dead Boy Detectives”

Showrunners: Beth Schwartz, Steve Yockey
Director: Lee Toland Krieger (pilot)
Cast: Kassius Nelson, Jayden Revri, George Rexstrew, Lukas Gage, Caitlin Reilly, Ruth Connell, Briana Cuoco
What’s It About? Based on the DC Comic by Neil Gaiman and Matt Wagner, the eight-episode first season follows three British teenagers — Edwin Payne (George Rexstrew), Charles Rowland (Jayden Revri), and Crystal Palace (Kassius Nelson) — who investigate crimes with supernatural connections. What gives these youngsters the needed expertise to solve such crimes? Well, two of them — the two boys, of course — are dead, and the third is a medium. Charles and Edwin refused to enter the afterlife, choosing instead to stay on Earth and serve as detectives. With “Sweet Tooth” creator Beth Schwartz and “The Flight Attendant” creator Steve Yockey showrunning — plus the recent success of Gaiman’s “Sandman” series on Netflix — hopes are high for the latest Warner Bros. television adaptation, which is in production now.

Update: On February 24, The Hollywood Reporter published a story stating “Dead Boy Detectives” is moving from HBO Max to Netflix. The series reportedly didn’t fit the plan for new DC studio heads James Gunn and Peter Safran, and marketing wouldn’t be ready until 2024. Expect further news soon, coming from that other streaming service.

“Young Love” (Max)

Creator: Matthew A. Cherry
Cast: Lorena Jorge, Toni Ricardo, Adriano Rivero, Michael Samarie George
Writers: Matthew A. Cherry, Carl Jones, Breannah Gibson, Jeanine Daniels, Willie Hunter
Directors: René Veilleux, Sahle Robinson
What’s It About? Inspired by the Oscar-winning animated short “Hair Love” and developed by the same creator, Matthew A. Cherry, “Young Love” expands the story of the Young family as they juggle their careers, marriage, parenthood, social issues, and multi-generational dynamics. Cherry, who also directed two independent live-action films, set a record for the highest amount raised for a short film on Kickstarter when he secured funding for “Hair Love” in 2017. He won the Oscar three years later, and while the 12-episode first season of the animated series has yet to be confirmed for 2023 release, wouldn’t it be fitting that the next chapter follows the lucky three-year pattern? (Production is reportedly near completion.)

“True Detective: Night Country” (HBO)

Showrunner, Writer, Director: Issa López
Executive Producers: Issa López, Jodie Foster, Barry Jenkins
Cast: Jodie Foster, Kali Reis, John Hawkes, Christopher Eccleston, Fiona Shaw, Finn Bennett, Anna Lambe, Aka Niviâna, Isabella Star Lablanc, Joel D. Montgrand
What’s It About? In the first season of HBO’s hit anthology series without creator Niz Pizzolatto penning scripts, our story heads to the dark and chilly environs of Ennis, Alaska, where eight men operating at the Tsalal Arctic Research Station have disappeared without a trace — or so it may seem to anyone who’s not… a true detective. Jodie Foster (as Detective Liz Danvers) and Kali Reis (as Det. Evangeline Navarro) put on their sleuthing caps for Season 4, leading a story written and directed entirely by Issa López, who won the Best Horror Director Award at Fantastic Fest for the 2017 film “Tigers Are Not Afraid.” Her heralded work in Mexican cinema has caught the eyes of Guillermo del Toro and Noah Hawley, who signed on to work with her in recent years, as well as Barry Jenkins and Jodie Foster, who are onboard as executive producers here. The pressure is on all of them to see if “True Detective” can survive now that it’s original writer has moved on.

Update: During Warner Bros. Discovery’s presentation of the Max streaming service, HBO released a trailer for “True Detective: Night Country.” The release date has not yet been announced.

“Succession” Season 4 (HBO)

Release Date: Sunday, March 26 at 9 p.m. ET
Creator/Showrunner: Jesse Armstrong
Director: Mark Mylod (premiere)
Cast: Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong, Sarah Snook, Kieran Culkin, Alan Ruck, Matthew Macfadyen, Nicholas Braun, J. Smith-Cameron, Peter Friedman, David Rasche, Fisher Stevens, Hiam Abbass, Justine Lupe, Scott Nicholson, Zoe Winters, Jeannie Berlin, Dagmara Dominczyk, Alexander Skarsgard, Arian Moayed, Juliana Canfield, Annabelle Dexter-Jones, Hope Davis, Cherry Jones, Justin Kirk, Stephen Root
What’s It About? The 13-time Emmy winner — including back-to-back triumphs as the Best Drama Series — returns for another sure-to-be traumatic fourth season. With Logan Roy (Brian Cox) successfully defending an attack from his three children, the stage is set for Waystar Royco’s sale to tech visionary Lukas Matsson (Alexander Skarsgard). But no sale of this size is ever simple, and no deal orchestrated within the Roy family is ever clean; expect a continued power struggle as the old guard and new money collide, expect a 10-episode season (followig the nine-hour third season), and expect “Succession” to compete for more Emmys come September.

Read IndieWire’s interview with Jesse Armstrong on the Season 3 finale.

“Perry Mason” Season 2 (HBO)

Release Date: Monday, March 6 at 9 p.m. ET
Showrunners: Jack Amiel and Michael Begler
Cast: Matthew Rhys, Juliet Rylance, Chris Chalk, Diarra Kilpatrick, Eric Lange, Justin Kirk, Katherine Waterston, Hope Davis, Fabrizio Guido, Peter Mendoza, Mark O’Brien, Paul Raci, Jen Tullock, Sean Astin, Tommy Dewey, Shea Whigham
What’s It About? Matthew Rhys returns as the newly licensed defense attorney for another challenging case sure to push him to a breaking point. In Season 2, the scion of a powerful oil family is brutally murdered, and Perry, Della (Juliet Rylance), and Paul (Chris Chalk) find themselves at the center of an investigation involving tricky conspiracies and moral questions. Katherine Waterston, Hope Davis, Sean Astin, and Tommy Dewey join the cast, which is now led by new showrunners Jack Amiel and Michael Begler — veterans of stunning period dramas, after spending two seasons running “The Knick.

Read IndieWire’s Season 2 review.

“Barry” Season 4 (HBO)

Release Date: Sunday, April 16 at 10 p.m. ET
Creators: Bill Hader and Alec Berg
Director: Bill Hader (all eight episodes)
Cast: Bill Hader, Stephen Root, Sarah Goldberg, Anthony Carrigan, Henry Winkler, Sarah Burns, Patrick Fischler
What’s It About? [Spoilers for Season 3 ahead.] At the end of the most recent season, Barry (Bill Hader) finally got caught. In a joint effort between intense detective/vengeful father Jim Moss (Robert Wisdom) and put-upon action teacher/vengeful ex-boyfriend Gene Cousineau (Henry Winkler), Barry was swarmed by SWAT officers and taken away in handcuffs. Now, Barry has tangled with the cops before, but a) never with such focused attention from formidable foes, and b) never with such guilt over what he’s done with his life. Barry faced death more than once in Season 3, and how he reckons with who he is and what he deserves may shape his fate in Season 4 as much as what others decide for him. Either way, expect plenty of laughs! Hader and Alex Berg have proven incredibly skilled at injecting humor into the darkest corners of their black comedy, keeping audiences enamored with glee even when scenarios take a turn for the worse. Shooting started in June 2022, so “Barry” may well be back to compete for more Emmys — adding to the nine wins it’s already earned.

Read IndieWire’s review of Season 4 and watch the teaser for the fourth and final season.

“Tokyo Vice” Season 2 (HBO Max)

Creator: J.T. Rogers
Cast: Ansel Elgort, Ken Watanabe, Rachel Keller, Sho Kasamatsu, Rinko Kikuchi, Hideaki Ito
What’s It About? “Tokyo Vice” is loosely inspired by Jake Adelstein’s non-fiction book describing his first-hand account of working the Toyko Metropolitan Police beat as a newspaper journalist. Played by Ansel Elgort in the series, Jake makes connections with cops and criminals alike in order to better understand the crime-controlled underbelly of Japan’s busiest city. In Season 1, such “friends” included Sato (Sho Kasamatsu), a Yakuza enforcer who doubts his role in the deadly organization; Samantha (Rachel Keller), an American expatriate trying to open her own club for high-end clientele; and Hiroto Katagiri (Ken Watanabe), a detective, husband, father, and father figure to Jake, whose integrity is both commendable and problematic. At the end of Season 1, Jake’s ambition and Hiroto’s plans for justice result in a catastrophic comeuppance at the hands of the Yakuza, and there’s no telling how the duo will move forward from there. Bring on Season 2!

Read IndieWire’s interview with Ken Watanabe on the Season 1 ending and plans for Season 2.

“Curb Your Enthusiasm” Season 12 (HBO)

Creator: Larry David
Showrunner: Jeff Schaffer
Cast: Larry David, J.B. Smoove, Jeff Garlin, Cheryl Hines, Susie Essman, Richard Lewis, Ted Danson, Vince Vaughn
What’s It About? Officially (per HBO’s synopsis), “Curb Your Enthusiasm” is about “how seemingly trivial details of one’s day-to-day life can precipitate a catastrophic chain of events.” Unofficially, “Curb Your Enthusiasm” is about bringing Larry David’s gripes, anxieties, and most fervent opinions to life. Each season sees David playing himself, typically embarking on a grand overarching endeavor — like reuniting the cast of “Seinfeld” or developing a Broadway show — which leads him through a series of awkward or strained social interactions that soon spiral into something much bigger. Season 12 promises more of the same, and while details are scarce about the plot, knowing David will be back (along with recurring favorite Richard Lewis) is enough to make “Curb” one of 2023’s most anticipated titles.

Read IndieWire’s interview with showrunner Jeff Schaffer.

“How To with John Wilson” Season 3 (HBO)

Creator: John Wilson
Cast: John Wilson
Executive Producers: John Wilson, Nathan Fielder, Michael Korman, Clark Reinking
What’s It About? Before there was “The Rehearsal,” there was “How To with John Wilson.” No, Wilson’s HBO docuseries isn’t an official successor to the best show of 2022, but they have notable similarities. Nathan Fielder executive produces both comedies; each features a self-described “anxious” narrator; both involve surprising interactions with real people, and both, in the long run, are searching for ways to make people’s lives a bit easier.

In “How To with John Wilson,” the series answers simple “how to” questions with elaborate and revealing earnestness; it’s not enough for Wilson to learn how to cover your furniture or appreciate wine; he wants to know why, as well. The way Wilson and his team cuts together footage in order to better express their exploration of each question can be alternatively hilarious and moving, stitching together observations until they become poetry. “How To with John Wilson” really needs to be seen to be believed, and Season 3 should do far more than tide us over until “The Rehearsal’s” return.

Read IndieWire’s interview with John Wilson.

“Warrior” Season 3 (HBO Max)

Release Date: Thursday, June 29
Creator/Showrunner: Jonathan Tropper
Executive Producers: Shannon Lee, Justin Lin, Jonathan Tropper, Danielle Woodrow
Director: Loni Peristere
Cast: Andrew Koji, Olivia Cheng, Jason Tobin, Dianne Doan, Hoon Lee, Tom Weston-Jones, Kieran Bew, Telly Leung, Kevin Otto, Adam Rayner, Mark Dacascos, Chelsea Muirhead, Catherine Archer, Sean Marco, Sizo Mahlangu
What’s It About? Set in 1870s San Francisco, “Warrior” is based on the writings of martial arts legend Bruce Lee and follows Ah Sahm (Andrew Koji), a martial arts prodigy who emigrates from China in search of his sister, Mai Ling (Dianne Doan), but ends up sold to one of Chinatown’s most notorious secret societies. Hailed for its exceptional action choreography “Warrior” was thought dead when Cinemax ceased producing original programming, but HBO Max added the first two seasons to its server and then renewed the series for a third. Production wrapped in October 2022, so fans should expect to see the latest 10 episodes sooner rather than later.

Update: Watch the Season 3 trailer now.